Heather and Matt tied the knot last summer and the two of them made a point to source local, reduce waste, and support greener businesses. So, how’d they do it without compromising their vision or spending a lot of money?

I remember our first meeting well. They shared all of their amazing wedding details– reception at Uncommon Ground, a school bus shuttle, local bouquets/boutonnieres (from Pollen), a ton of DIY details, and their excitement for the Chicago Green Wedding Alliance. Then, at the end of the meeting, they mentioned the little snag of not having a ceremony space a month before the big day because theirs just burned down!

All-in-all it worked out beautifully, as it usually does. They quickly found another space to hold the ceremony at the Swedish American Museum in Andersonville. It is wonderful to be able to give back to the community and support these types of spaces. The venue itself didn’t need much decoration with wonderful pieces of art hanging on the wall and a lovely winding staircase for the bride to make an entrance.

Since the ceremony venue was so close to Uncommon Ground, the couple loaded all the guests into school buses and took a short ride. Guests enjoyed craft brews and local wines during cocktail hour while Heather and Matt had a few moments alone on the greenest rooftop in Chicago– the restaurant’s rooftop garden.

As guests made their way to the table for dinner, they grabbed their escort card that were hanging from cut pieces of repurposed laces and fabric ribbons. The escort cards themselves were also repurposed from Heather and Matt’s original invites (they had to reprint due to the change in venue, but found a creative way to reuse them as escort cards and table numbers. How perfect!

One detail I greatly enjoyed about Heather and Matt’s big day was the food! Not only did they choose one the greenest restaurants to host their event, but they also selected an all vegetarian and seasonal menu. Later, guests enjoyed the perfect summer wedding cake from Cafe Selmarie with a whipped frosting and fresh berries.

We saved the best detail for last. Heather and Matt spent days and days making their own favors – handmade soaps. They smelled amazingly of fresh herbs and were hand tied with repurposed strips of fabric. They looked so lovely in this mint crate!